Few home-maintenance projects are as unglamorous as cleaning out the gutters, those forgotten pieces of metal or vinyl that perform the vital function of draining the water off your roof and away from your home.

Gutters are troughs that surround the perimeter of the roof and run along a house's eaves toward downspouts, which drain the water toward the ground and redirect it away from a home's foundation.

Without gutters and downspouts, every rain storm and drizzle would threaten your roof, unseal your home's water-tightness or damage paint, siding, windows and window frames. Allowing debris to remain in gutters causes insects to breed and mildew to thrive.

Solving clogging — the most common gutter problem

• Once in the spring and again before the cool weather sets in (but at least once a year), you'll want to check your gutters and downspouts for debris that may be lodged in their chutes, preventing proper draining.
  
  
• In most cases, running a hose along the gutters and through the downspouts will loosen and clear clogs. To keep clogs from reoccurring, buy mesh screens that keep leaves, bird droppings and other items from getting trapped. Be sure to remove the screens when you perform your twice-yearly gutter cleaning.
  
  
• Check downspouts for rust, leaks or peeling paint. Occasionally gutters will have to be repositioned to slope at the correct angle.

What to expect when you hire a gutter repair professional

• Preventative maintenance is good, but when you need a professional, check our profiles for area gutter and downspout cleaning and repair professionals. A service usually will clean your gutters for $75 to $150, based on the size of your home.
  
  
• A standard gutter cleaning generally will include complete debris removal, repositioning of gutters and gutter guards, cleaning off all debris from roofs and trimming tree branches.
  
  
• Extra charges will cover bagging debris, scrubbing of the gutters' exteriors and installing gutter guards.

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